


Queens Interrogation

by Please No Portraits (GothAlbinoAngel)



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: F/F, F/M, Interrogation, Jane is a pure bean and only deserves the best, Overprotective Queens, Protectiveness, Subtle Interrogation, the other queens make sure this new guy fits the bill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 08:15:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22966795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothAlbinoAngel/pseuds/Please%20No%20Portraits
Summary: Anon asked: Could you write something where maybe the others discover Jane has been dating secretly? They put this person to some kind of test to see whether they are worthy of their pure mom!friend? Thank you :)
Relationships: Jane Seymour/Original Character(s), Katherine Howard/Catherine Parr
Comments: 9
Kudos: 98





	Queens Interrogation

**Author's Note:**

> Edward is, once again, in baby purgatory for this. Thankfully, this universe is flexible enough that I can set him in there as needed. Get ready to meet Jonathon (Edward's father)!
> 
> Nicknames: Kit - Howard, Cathy - Parr, Lina - Aragon

Jane took a deep breath as she slipped back into the house. She didn’t want to wake anyone who may potentially have been asleep. It was only around ten, so she knew at least four people were still awake, but she respected Lina enough not to slam the door. Of course, making it into the house completely without anyone noticing was downright impossible, as a head of pink appearing a moment later indicated.

“Hey, Jane!” Kit called, leaping at her for a hug. Jane caught her easily, giving a soft laugh. “You were out late. Everything okay?”

“Yes, Kitty, everything’s fine,” Jane replied, removing her shoes. She slipped out of her coat as well. “I was just out with an art class friend. Time kind of slipped away from us while we were discussing profiles. Sorry if I worried you.”

Kit shook her head. “I don’t get worried until eleven. Then I’ll call the police.”

Jane laughed at the thought. “If I’m out passed eleven, just assume I fell asleep in a cafe.”

“I’d call the police because I wouldn’t know _which_ cafe,” Kit pointed out. 

“True enough.” Jane leaned over to kiss her forehead. “If you don’t mind, I’m a little beat, so I’m going to join Lina in dreamland, alright?”

Kit gave her a swift hug. With a whispered ‘good night’, Jane made her way up the stairs to bed. The date played over in her thoughts. She and John really _had_ let the time get away from them. Thank goodness the Castle doesn’t have a curfew. As she slipped under the blankets, she allowed his face to fill her mind and she drifted off. 

The next morning, the queens woke up the same as they usually would. Lina, first up for morning prayer, made breakfast for the house, Kit coming down a little later to help finish up. Next was Jane, usually up this time just because she could be. Anna’s music switched on soon enough, to indicate her morning workout. Last up were Cathy and Anne, dragging themselves down with yawns and tired ‘good morning’s. 

Everything was peaceful. Anna came in when Kit was about halfway through her breakfast, explaining her latest music composition to Anne and Cathy, complete with wild gestures. It was a habit she’d inherited from Anne, but it was too cute to make her stop. Jane, finishing up with her breakfast, decided to hit the shower. She had only been under the water for about four minutes when it happened. 

A knock sounded at the door and Kit tilted her head in confusion. She left her half-eaten breakfast to go answer. Who could possibly be coming by? None of them were expecting company as far as she remembered. When she opened the door, Kit stiffened. It wasn’t her fault. Ever since recovering Katherine’s memories, seeing men was just a bit tense. 

“Uh, hi?” she asked slowly. He didn’t _look_ like a door-to-door salesman…

“Hey!” he gave her a smile and wave. “I’m sorry to be a bother. I just wanted to return Jane’s scarf. She left it in my car after our date last night.”

Kit knew that the word ‘date’ could refer to a few different things. A hangout, an appointment, a get-together. However, considering the hour Jane had gotten back last night and because Kit wasn’t _stupid_ , there was only one thing ‘date’ could have meant in this situation.

With barely a thought, Kit slipped a smile on her lips. “Oh, it’s no trouble at all.” She stepped back slightly, providing more room in the doorway as she angled her body toward the house’s interior invitingly. “Why don’t you come in? Jane’s a little busy at the moment, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

His smile fell and he seemed a little nervous. Good. Be nervous. Kit was a hawk zeroing in on a field mouse. “Uh, are you sure? I don’t want to intrude…”

“It’s not an intrusion at all, I assure you.” Kit waved him closer, tilting her head toward the inside of the house. “Come on in!” 

As he stepped into the house, Kit shut the door behind him and held out her hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

“Oh!” he easily took her hand. No hesitation. That was a good sign. He was polite. “I’m Johnny, uh, or John. Either one is fine.”

“Kit.” Kit gestured toward the kitchen. By now, the other queens had paused in their eating to listen. It’s not difficult to tell when a man (or any stranger, really) is in the house, after all. “Have you eaten breakfast? We’ve got some leftover.”

“That’s kind of you, but I would hate to impose,” Johnny chuckled, scratching behind his neck. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your breakfast or anything.”

Before Kit could reassure him again, a throat cleared from the kitchen’s doorway. Unlike Kit’s carefully friendly demeanor, Anne and Anna leaned against the doorjamb seriously. Both had their arms crossed and were glaring directly at the perceived intruder. They weren’t sure why he was here, but any men near Kit needed to be watched. 

“Kitkat,” Anne nodded toward her cousin before returning her gaze to the man beside her. “Who’s your guest?”

“This is Jane’s date,” Kit said in a purposefully cheerful voice as she watched her friends stiffen in shock. “Johnny came to return her scarf from their date last night.”

Instantly, Anna stood straighter, a smile also sliding onto her lips. “That’s nice of’im,” she chuckled, walking forward to introduce herself. “Anna. Nice to meetcha, Johnny.”

“You too.” It was clear Johnny didn’t know quite how to treat the situation, but he held out his hand for a shake anyway. If he felt any pain at Anna squeezing his hand just a _bit_ too firmly, he didn’t show it. “Nice grip,” he coughed. “You work out?”

“Yup!” Anna flexed proudly, smug grin in place even as she didn’t take her eyes off him. “Two hundred or so pounds. How ‘bout you?” It was a lie. She could easily bench four hundred pounds, but that tended to make men sweat a lot, so she downplayed it for his sake. 

“Nah, not me,” Johnny chuckled. “I’m more of a painter, myself.” He appeared a little on edge. Kit didn’t let a single mannerism slip her by. She didn’t know what to make of him yet. 

A head of curls poked out of the kitchen and Cathy grinned. “Hey, you three,” she said conversationally. “Heard you made a new friend?”

Used to the introductions by now, Johnny held out his hand with a smile. “Johnny, Jane’s… uh, date.” 

Neither Kit nor Cathy missed the way he stumbled. So he didn’t know what they were. He didn’t want to assume. Interesting. Cathy stepped out and took the proffered hand, shaking casually. “Cathy,” she replied with a nod. “Nice to meet you, Johnny Jane’s Date.”

As expected, a small laugh left Johnny as he pulled his hand back. Cathy slung an arm around Kit’s shoulders. They watched him for a moment longer. He seemed fine right now, but first impressions could be deceiving. They didn’t want to let him slip. Anne still hadn’t straightened out of her guarded stance. 

A sigh sounded from the kitchen and the last of the interrogators stepped from the kitchen with all the majesty of her previous occupation. Lina’s eyes swept over the group gathered and she shook her head in disappointment. “If you’re going to invite the man in, at least be cordial enough to show him a seat,” she huffed. An act, of course. Everyone being immediately friendly wouldn’t help them gauge Johnny too well. 

“My bad!” Kit chuckled. “This way, Johnny.” She guided him toward the living room, Cathy keeping an arm around her. 

Johnny followed after. He hadn’t expected to meet all of Jane’s housemates so soon. Really, he was curious about them all, but Jane had been adamant they wait a little while before introducing him to the rest of the house. He couldn’t fathom why, though. They all seemed friendly enough, though one or two of them may have been in a bad mood. He really didn’t mean to intrude, but it was nice of them to invite him in. He’d try not to step on any toes.

As he sat, he noticed that Kit and Cathy appeared… _really_ close. Actually, so close that it looked like Kit was sitting on Cathy’s lap. He blinked. No, she _definitely_ was. Oh, were they…? He didn’t want to be rude and ask. Instead, he looked around the living room, searching for something to talk about. 

“Your home is lovely,” he murmured, taking in the ornate fireplace and decorations. On the mantle, there appeared to be a book of some kind surrounded on all sides by beautiful porcelain sculptures, each sporting a different flower. The living room was large, but not vacant, couches, armchairs, stools and beanbags filling the area. 

“Thank you,” Lina said as she swept in. This Johnny hadn’t sat in her armchair. She already liked him. She settled into her seat and leveled a stare at him. “So, how did you and Jane meet?” she asked conversationally. “I’m afraid we haven’t heard too much.”

Anne and Anna fanned out as Johnny answered. “It was a, uh, an art class. I was asking about some painting techniques and she stepped up to help me out.”

“Oh, that must have been at the class she was taking that ended last month, right?” Kit piped up. Okay, they had a timeline. 

“Yeah, that’s right.” Johnny relaxed a bit as he spoke. “I gave her my number at the last class and invited her for coffee.”

Cathy perked up at the mention of coffee and Kit patted her hair. Now was not the time for caffeine brain to kick in. Johnny liking coffee gave him a brownie point from Cathy, though. 

“And you two have been seeing one another since?” Lina continued. A proper timeline would have been helpful, but they couldn’t be too invasive or he might start shutting down. They needed as much information as possible before he closed himself off… or before Jane got out of the shower. 

“That’s right, Ma’am,” Johnny replied. 

“Catalina,” Lina murmured offhandedly, sipping her tea. Johnny nodded and rubbed his arm. 

Kit noticed that he gripped Jane’s scarf tighter whenever he got nervous. He seemed intent upon making a good first impression. He hadn’t said anything about how close she is with Cathy, so that was a start at least. And he was doing his best to remain polite, which was appreciated. He didn’t work out, so they didn’t have to worry about his strength being a factor. It would be unfortunate if he hurt Jane with a hug and Anna had to throw him through a wall. 

“Will we be able to see your art anywhere?” Cathy said before the conversation could lull. 

“Yeah, uh, there’s a showcase happening at the gallery Jane and I met at.” Johnny liked talking about art. Art was safe. It meant he didn’t have as much opportunity to put his foot in his mouth, unlike he sometimes did with sports. “I’m sure she’d love for you to come see her stuff on Opening Night.”

He didn’t mention his own, he mentioned Jane’s. Interesting. Kit would file that away for later. So far, he was doing well. Polite, composed, a little nervous being in a house of strangers, but doing his best. And he was slowly relaxing around them. Yes, he would do nicely. 

Before anything else could be said, the water from the upstairs bathroom could be heard shutting off. Not by anyone who wasn’t actively listening to the pipes, of course, but all five queens had been keeping an ear on them. As if on cue, Lina stood with her teacup. “I think I’ll go get some more tea.”

Anna and Anne slipped out of the living room just ahead of her. Johnny was surprised when it was just him, Kit, and Cathy in the living room. When they were all in the room together, it always seemed like there were more of them. 

Cathy leaned close to Kit and whispered, “Is it okay?”

Kit smiled and squeezed her hand, whispering back, “We need to see how it goes. I’ll be alright.”

Cathy gave her a small smile and pecked her cheek. “I’ll be right out in the hall, just a shout away. Promise.”

Kit slid off her lap and Cathy shot Johnny a quick wave before she darted from the room. And then there were two. Kit gazed at Johnny calmly, though her eyes seemed more intense than before. Johnny couldn’t help feeling like a mouse caught between the cat’s claws. Unseen by him, Kit was psyching herself up to get closer. It had to be done, though. They needed to know his reaction around other women. Anne hated that it was Kit doing this part, but any of the rest of them would come on too strong, hostile, or cold. All of them were within hearing distance though. Even if Johnny didn’t make a move, they wanted to be close enough that they could return as soon as one of the codewords left Kit’s mouth. 

Standing, Kit stepped closer and gestured to the spot beside Johnny on the couch. “Mind if I sit?” she asked. 

Johnny gave a soft laugh. “Yeah, of course, I mean, it’s your house.” 

Already off to a good start. Kit plopped down beside him, not too close, just close enough that he noticed. They didn’t want to put him into a situation he would be uncomfortable with. All moves were his to make, at all times. Kit lifted her hand and gestured to the scarf. “May I?”

Johnny handed it over without question, though his hand did hesitate fully letting go of it. “Um… you all seem really fond of her.”

“She’s kinda like… a caretaker,” Kit explained. “Not quite to that extent, but she and Catalina make sure the house keeps running smoothly.”

“Yeah, she says you all are a family,” Johnny coughed. “Uh, I can see it. You know? The way you all come when you think one might be in danger?”

“Oh?” Kit tilted her head questioningly. So he noticed. Was he that observant?

Johnny gave a nervous chuckle. “I mean, uh, they all kinda… immediately knew I was in the house. Makes sense, you know, since my voice is pretty deep and everything, but, uh, you all came to assess the threat. And when you had finished your assessment, you went back to, um, what you were doing. I’m sure my sister would probably do the same thing if I brought Jane home.”

Okay, he was passing with flying colors. He hadn’t caught on completely, but he was on the right track and that was enough for the group. Not only that, but his gaze hadn’t fallen below Kit’s eyes during the entire conversation. She was even playing with the scarf as a way to bait him, but he hadn’t fallen for it once. 

All of them knew everyone had secrets, skeletons in their closet that they didn’t want the world to see. For now, though, this Johnny had proven himself worthy. That didn’t mean they would let their guards down just yet, but they wouldn’t actively impede him courting Jane, either. 

“Yeah, we are like a big family,” Kit laughed, shoulders relaxing now that the assessment had been completed. “I dunno what I would do without my fellow queens.”

There was the code word. Without a moment’s hesitation, Cathy bounced back in. Kit stood immediately and settled back on her lap as Anne returned to her spot in the corner. Her stance was more relaxed than before. Lina swept back into the room, settling with another cup of tea. Anna didn’t return because someone had to let Jane know. 

No later than Lina had taken her first sip than the bathroom door opened. “Heya, Janey,” Anna called, slinging an arm around Jane’s shoulders. “We’ve got a visitor.”

“Oh?” Jane perked up as Anna led her down the stairs and toward the living room. “You could’ve told me to hurry.”

“Nah, didn’t wanna rush ya,” Anna chuckled, They rounded the corner and Jane froze. 

“John?” she called in confusion. 

Johnny stood with a grin. “Hey, Jane.” His voice sounded a little breathless and Cathy muffled a giggle in Kit’s neck. “Uh, I came to return your scarf. You, um, you left it in the car.”

Kit held up the garment in question, waving it playfully. “Right here, Jane,” she chirped. “We were just getting to know Johnny a little while we waited.”

Jane cast a look around at them all, but knew she wouldn’t get the verdict until after John left. Instead, she turned her attention to her boyfriend and smiled. “Thanks for coming by,” she said in a soft tone. “You didn’t have to. I could’ve just swiped it back on our next date.” 

Johnny shrugged with a goofy grin as she hugged him. “It was nothing. Your housemates were great hosts… hostesses… uh…” His eyebrows furrowed and he glanced at Catalina for confirmation. 

“Either is correct,” she reassured him with a smile, taking another sip of tea. 

“They were all super nice,” John continued. Jane repressed a snort at that. “But, uh, I should get going. Kate and I have an outing planned and she’ll fillet me if I’m late.”

“Tell Katharine I said hello,” Jane chirped, making four of the other five in the house stiffen at the name. “And you’ll have to bring some of her cookies by next time you visit.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that,” John laughed. He leaned forward to wrap her in one last hug before giving a wave and heading out. 

Jane shut and locked the door behind him before turning back to the rest of the house. She leveled them all with a frown and Anne shrugged, not the least bit ashamed. “To be fair,” she said. “It was Kit who answered the door. If it was me, I’d’ve just took the scarf and sent him on his way.”

Kit bounced over and wrapped Jane in a hug. “We just wanted to meet him, Jane,” she explained with a slight pout. “You know, in our own unique way.”

“He better not be scarred for life, Katherine Howard Holland,” Jane huffed, though it was diminished by the grin tugging her lips. “Otherwise, you owe me a new date. And _I_ have to approve him beforehand.”

“Deal!” Kit chirped. She bounded back toward Cathy, who caught her easily. “Now, let’s go finish breakfast. He interrupted and I wanna finish my pancakes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Johnny's just doing his best. The queens just wanted to make sure he wasn't an immediate threat. I love Jane and loved this prompt.


End file.
